A diamond is formed under intense pressure — buying one can be a similar experience, but done correctly it can also be one of the most satisfying. Not only is a beautiful ring a symbol of your love and commitment, it can also be a unique, priceless heirloom that is passed through generations of your family.
“A diamond is an individual of itself,” explains Barbara Novak, a third generation diamond dealer and the owner of Barbara Novak Diamonds in New York City. “No two diamonds are exactly the same. They’re similar, but they’re not exactly the same. They’re almost like a fingerprint.”
Novak says that when people are seeking an engagement ring she advises to work with a jeweler they trust and focus on the diamond, because they can always change a ring’s setting down the line.
She says that people will come to her seeking intricate, detailed bands for their engagement rings “with vines and little diamonds all over” before realizing that a simpler band with a higher quality stone is actually what they want.
“Most people who come in for engagement rings end up with something a little bit more basic,” she said. “It’s more modern, very clean, putting their money in the diamond and then saving up for a beautiful band afterwards.”
Novak also emphasizes the need to see a diamond in real life, before purchasing because it’s challenging to discern how a stone will actually look from photographs on the internet.
“People will say they saw something on the internet and it was X amount of dollars and I’ll say ‘Okay, pull it up. Let’s look at it. You didn’t read the fine print. You didn’t read the cert because how would you know how to read a cert,’” she said, referring to the diamond certification that breaks down the quality and value of a given stone.
Included in the diamond certification are the “Four Cs” – cut, color, clarity and carat. Continue reading to learn the significance of each of these qualities, when purchasing a diamond engagement ring.
